Gary Vaynerchuk, the most influential speaker on the subject of wine, will be participating in Winefuture Hong Kong’11

-North American speaker, Gary Vaynerchuk, will give a live videoconference during Winefuture HK’11, highlighting the importance of the Internet and social networking when it comes to marketing wine
-Vaynerchuk, who already took part in Winefuture Rioja 09, joins important personalities from the world of wine such as Robert Parker, Jancis Robinson, Mel Dick, Jeannie Cho Lee and Miguel Torres, in Hong Kong from the 6th to the 8th of November

Renowned speaker on the subject of wine and expert on social networking, Gary Vaynerchuk (born in Belarus in 1975) will join an elite group of personalities from the wine industry at the Winefuture HK 2011 conference (www.winefuture.hk), which will take place from November 6 to 8 in Hong Kong. Vaynerchuk, considered one of the most influential personalities in wine-centered social networking sites and videoblogs, will form part of the panel of speakers via videoconference.

Pancho Campo MW, organiser of Winefuture HK’11, said, “It is an honour to once again work with Gary Vaynerchuk. He is the world’s foremost wine expert in the social networking realm and he was the first to demonstrate how crucial online marketing is to the success of the wine sector.” Vaynerchuk was also present in La Rioja, where the first edition of Winefuture took place.

Vaynerchuk, 35, has over 64,000 fans on Facebook and more than 800,000 followers on Twitter, having demonstrated his experience and ability when it comes to generating and influencing opinions and reviews in the global wine industry. He has been featured in prestigious publications such as The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Times and is the author of three books, including the best-seller, ‘Crush It’. He is now one of the most influential critics in the United States, thanks to his videoblog, Wine Library TV, an online channel featuring videos, references and wine tastings from all over the world. (www.garyvaynerchuk.com)

“One of the most important milestones achieved by Vaynerchuk is that he has made wine appealing to young consumers and has motivated many people to become involved in the world of wine,” says Pancho Campo. At the 2009 Wine conference in La Rioja, Vaynerchuk impressed the audience with his persuasive abilities, his speech evidencing the changing nature of the wine industry. “If the players in the wine sector don’t adapt to Facebook, Twitter and blogging, at the rate that things are changing and the velocity at which existing information is flowing, the wine sector will be left out,” he said.

Gary Vaynerchuk will join an exclusive list of wine experts during Winefuture HK’11, where he will give a videoconference focusing on the importance of marketing wine online. His speech, as well as those of Robert Parker, Jancis Robinson, Jeannie Cho Lee, Miguel Torres, Steven Spurrier, Mel Dick, Lisa Perotti-Brown and the rest of the renowned group of speakers, can be followed online via live streaming on www.winefuture.hk

WineFuture Hong Kong 11 is an event organised by and the property of The Wine Academy of Spain, and is supported by Madwine and the Asia Wine Service & Education Centre (AWSEC). The event brings together experts from all over the world to analyse issues such as the economic crisis, consumption trends, drops in sales, the environment, labelling, packaging and emerging markets, to name a few. The aim of the event was born during the first edition of Winefuture Rioja’09, and involves the creation of a forum to study and evaluate the challenges faced by the wine sector. For further information, www.winefuture.hk

The Wine Academy of Spain

The Wine Academy of Spain is a private organisation founded in the year 2003 by Pancho Campo MW, the first Spaniard to achieve the coveted title of Master of Wine. Its main activities include training wine professionals and amateurs; promoting Spanish wine in other countries through the Spanish Wine Experience programme; promoting Spain to the wine tourism sector; analysing the impact of climate change on the industry; and organising study trips to wine areas in association with the University of California Davis in the United States. The Academy has also imparted Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) courses throughout Spain and organised the World Congress on Climate Change and Wine and the Winefuture-Rioja’09 and Vinoble 2010 events.